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Thunderstorms

When I was very little, my favorite thing in the world was to sit in the huge porch at my grandparents lake house and watch the thunderstorms come down from the mountains and over the lake. The "porch" was almost as big as house itself, with various tables, chairs and even an old couch (yes, we're all hicks at heart). It overlooked Curlew Lake, and I thought it was the most perfect place on the face of the earth. Still do, truth be known...

After several days of 90 degree weather, eastern WA is waiting for the thunderstorms to come down from the mountains and put on a post-holiday fireworks show. Although there's always a chance of sparking a forest fire, Mother Nature's show is something that shouldn't be missed.

In the meantime, I'm starting to read Cohesive Writing, by Carol Jago. She's listed as the faculty member for the online course I'm taking regarding teaching the classics in high school. I have another two books of her's coming and she's been highly recommended by several people. I'm hoping to be able to really beef up writing instruction for my students, as well as making the literature a bit more interesting and connective to the students's lives. In the coming year, the sophomore class will be taking the WASL for one of the graduation requirements. If they don't pass at some point between now and 2008, no diploma. It's as scary for me as it for them.

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